Turpentine-gatherer&#39;s ax.



PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

E. A. McKOY. TURPENTINB GATHERERS AX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19 1907 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' PATENTBD 001. 29. 1907.

E. A. MGKOY.

TURPENTINE GATHERERS AX.

APPLICATION IILBD JULY 19. 1907.

2'SHEBTS-SHBBT 2.

EDWIN A. MCKOY, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

TUBPENTINE-GATHERERS AX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed July 19.1907. erial No. 384.584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. MoKoY, a eitizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, ha \0 invented certain new and useful lmproventents in llurpentine- Gatherer-s Axes, of which the following is a speeitieation.

My invention relates to the art of eolleetiug turpentine, or other sap, from trees, and its objeet is to provide an improved tool for turpentine-gatherers use, whereby eurved ineisions (an be more readily and eonveniently made in the trees, for the reeeption of the sheet-metal aprons Whieh ('onduet the sap into the reeeptaeles. The usual way in whieh these iut-isions are made in the trees is by n'ieans of a saw, or by means of an ax with a straight edge, whieh neeessarily results in produt-ing an incision of unequal depth, the eenter of out being the deepest and the ends of the eut running out. objection to this manner of making the ineisions lies in the fact that the strength of the tree is diminished by the depth of the out, espeeially when int-isions are made on opposite sides of the same tree. For these BllSOIiS an ax with a eoneave eutting edge has been proposed, by means of whieh the int'isiou is made more nearly of uniform depth. This ax has, however, an edge of uniform cone-ave curvature whieh terminates in sharp points, and, eonsequei'itly, while suitable for use on. trees of eertain sizes, is not adapted for satisfaetor use on trees of widely different. eurvat ures.

My invention obviates this objeetiou, as it enables one and the same ax to be eonveniently used to make the incisions on both small and large trees, as well as on trees that are somewhat flat-sided,

The invention eonsists in an ax having a head and a i\ uother broad blade, the head being provided with an eye for the handle running parallel to the plane. of the blade,

and the blade having aeoneaveeutting edge in theeenter and for the major part of its length, said edge merging towards the ends into eonvex eutting edges whieh terminate in rounded ends.

In the acconi tntnying dra\\'ing -Figure 'l is a side elevation of my improved ax; Fig 2 isan end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal set-tion through a somewhat flat-sided tree showing in full l i nes the edge of the improved ax in position to make an ineision, and in dotted lines the position of the eoneave edge of an old form of ax, also in dotted lines, the outlines of trees of different sizes. Fig. l is a partial sideele\ation and partial vertical section of a tree with the apron inserted in the incision and supporting a reeeptaele.

The ax comprises a head 1, provided with an eye 2, for the reception of the handle 3, and a broad blade 1 extending laterally in each direction from the center line of the shank and tapering doWnw-tu'dly therefrom towards the cutting edge. This blade is formed with a central eoneave eutting edge 5, whit-h merges towards the ends into the eonvex eutting edges ti, which are rounded off at. the corners 7, 7.

in Fig. 2, 8 represents the trunk of a sap-bearing tree, having a somewhat flat, side 9, and It) represents the outlines of trees of different diameters. The edge of my improved ax is shown in position to eommenee the lll(l. 'l )ll, and the dotted line 18 represents the position whieh an ax with an edge of uniform eoneuve eurvature from point to point would take. it will be seen that the points of the latter, eontaeting with the surfaee of the tree, hold the (enter of the edge at a eonsiderable distanee from said surfaee, while the rounded eorners of my improved ax permit the (enter of the (rout-ave (utting edge to approaeh more elosely to the tree. in use, it would be almost impossible to drive the points of-the ax. having the edge formed in a uniform eurve from eorner to eorner, sutlieientl far into the tree to bring the eenter of the eoneave into the wood at all, and, furthermore, there would be (-onsiderable danger of breaking off the points. \\'ith its edge of double eurvatnre and rounded eorners, my ax is adapted for and gives equally good results when used on trees of different diameters or shapts, as will be evident from Fig. 2.

ln Fig. 1, an apron .11 is shown inserted into an ineision made by the new ax, a. reeeptaele l2 being supported from said apron. The ineision is made by holding the ax at an upwardly inelined angle with its edge against the tree and driving it, in by blows delivered with a maul on the head of the ax. The taper of the blade makes it 11(l as a wedge to separate the fibers of the wood. the result being that, when the apron is inserted, \\'lli('l1 is done inunediately after the int'ision is made, the fibers reexpand and elamp the apron firmly.

What. l elaim is i\:| ax I: r turpentine-galherers' use. eomprising a broad blade having a eoneave eutting edge in the renter and eonrex (xittiug' edg'es near the ends.

2. An ax for turpentine galherers use, eomprising a shank. a broad blade extending dmvnwardly and laterally therefrom. the edge of said blade being lUlH'ilYt at its eenter. and ronrer; at its ends.

ll. An ax for turpentiue'gatheters' use. rotnprising a broad blade having an edge of double eurvature.

4. An ax t'or t'urpeutine'gatherers' use. eomprising a shank having a flat head and an ore for a handle. a broad blade tapering don'nnxardl from said shank and extending laterally in both diret-tions therefrom. said blade having a rout-ave euttiug edse mere ng near the ends into eonvex t'utfing edges and having rounded corners In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature, in presenee of two witnesses nowiN a. MeKOY.

Witnesses Consumes l ltlillnlth'l', liowane At Coonns. 

